Surgical procedures which involve interconnecting tubular body members such as blood vessels, typically involve securing two ends together by sutures. However, this technique has the disadvantages that it must be carried out by a highly-skilled surgeon and it is time-consuming.
In view of the problems involved in directly suturing together two cut ends of a blood vessel, techniques have been developed using a tubular member, or stent, as a sleeve which is inserted within the end portions of the blood vessel to be united. The stent may then be sutured to the walls of the end portions being reconnected. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,078 to Bergentz et al for a description of an insert for use in vascular surgery. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,989 to Ablaza for a description of a tubular graft for repair of arteries.
While the use of an insert in surgical procedures is widespread, Fallopian tubal reanastomosis is presently performed only through microsurgical techniques carried out through a major incision in the abdominal wall. An ideal reanastomotic technique for joining end portions of a resected Fallopian tube would permit a laparoscopic approach, thereby avoiding a major incision. However, the few attempts which have been reported in the literature of joining resected Fallopian tube end portions using a laparoscopic approach have all met with failure. It would be a significant advance in the art to provide a procedure and means for interconnecting the end portions of a resected Fallopian tube using a laparoscopic approach.